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This legislation was signed by the Governor June 8, 2016…

MEDICAL MARIJUANA LEGISLATION SUMMARY 

The final Medical Marijuana legislation (HB 523) that passed the Senate and was concurred to by the House included a number of changes from the bill that was originally introduced. The final bill puts in place a regulatory framework for the implementation of a medical marijuana program. The bill:

• Requires that the Ohio Department of Commerce and the State Board of Pharmacy administer a Medical Marijuana Control Program.
• Establishes the Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee and authorizes it to make recommendations concerning the Medical Marijuana Control Program to the Department of Commerce, Board of Pharmacy, and State Medical Board.
• Permits a patient, on the recommendation of a physician, to use medical marijuana to treat a qualifying medical condition.
  • Qualifying conditions include: AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy or another seizure disorder, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, hepatitis C, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, pain that is either chronic and severe or intractable, Parkinson’s disease, positive status for HIV, post-traumatic stress disorder, sickle cell anemia, spinal cord disease or injury, Tourette’s syndrome, traumatic brain injury, and ulcerative colitis.
  • The bill also authorizes an individual to petition the Medical Board to add a disease or condition to the list of qualifying medical conditions.
• Authorizes the Board of Pharmacy to register patients and caregivers and to issue licenses to medical marijuana retail dispensaries.
• Authorizes the Department of Commerce to issue licenses to medical marijuana cultivators, processors, and testing laboratories.
• Authorizes the Medical Board to issue certificates to physicians seeking to recommend treatment with medical marijuana.
• Prohibits the cultivation of medical marijuana for personal, family, or household use.
• Prohibits smoking of medical marijuana (vaping is allowed).

The Columbus Dispatch coverage of the vote and discussion about the constitutional amendment is available here.

If you are in need of mental health counseling, please reach out to our associates at Behavioral Health Services of Greater Cleveland at one of our two locations: Rocky River and Medina. Family, individual, and couples counseling are available. Please call (866) 466-9591 ext. 0 for an intake.